BSc Cyber Security

At a University that is recognised as a GCHQ Academic Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security Research.

Cyber space comprises all the interactions with all the networks of digital devices used to store, modify and communicate information, across all time. It is global in reach and vast in scale, extending far beyond the Internet. Its interactions are with people, with the physical environment, and with other digital devices. It is a pervasive enabler in modern society. Most things are possible; not all are desirable; context is everything.

Cyber Security seeks to enable the good and prevent the bad in cyber space. For you to contribute to this task, you will learn a broad range of theory and practice. Most things will be viewed from two perspectives: what should happen, and what does happen. Many cyber security challenges lurk in this gap between concept and reality.

What will you learn?

how to construct robust software

how to store data over time and communicate it over distance

how computer systems are organised

the capabilities of cryptographic techniques

the processes and procedures that provide assurance that things are as they should be

the mindset, tools and techniques to discover the shortcomings of cyber systems, duly constrained by ethics and the law

The course has a strong technical focus so that you understand precisely how the digital parts of cyber systems function. However, the role played by people, processes and the physical environment in achieving cyber security is also a critical part of your study. Taken together, you will learn how to harden the security posture of an organisation's cyber systems.

How is the course delivered?

This course is delivered by subject leaders our Cyber Security Centre. The teaching and learning is structured around high-intensity workshops with structured independent consolidation activities in between.

The workshops will comprise a mix of conventional lectures, practical laboratory sessions and tutorial sessions. The proportions and emphasis will vary from module to module.

The consolidation activities typically will involve the application of material covered in the workshop to a practical problem. Some of this consolidation activity will be individual, some will be working in teams. Some development projects will span several workshops and run for several weeks.

Much of the practical activity will take place in the dedicated Cyber Security laboratories within the Cyber Security Centre. Your studies will culminate in your final year individual cyber project.

How will you be assessed?

Your performance will be assessed by a combination of coursework and written examination. The coursework may be individual or group work involving aspects of cyber system development, cyber system analysis, cyber research, and presentation of findings.

Second year and final year assessment contributes 30:70 to your final BSc degree classification.

Essential information

Entry Requirements
A level: AAB (STEM subjects preferred)

IB: 36 points (STEM subjects preferred), with a minimum of 4 in English